Prince Albert’s plans to revitalize its downtown helped convince a local entrepreneur that Central Avenue was the right place to open his first business in Canada.
La Pizza 365 opened Friday, offering pizza, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, wings and other items from its downtown location.
Owner Junaid Mohammed said he noticed information at City Hall about planned improvements to downtown, including the conversion of Central Avenue from one-way to two-way traffic.
When asked whether the downtown revitalization was a factor in choosing the location, Mohammed agreed.
“That’s the main thing, which was the attraction for choosing this location,” he said.
Mohammed said he also noticed the number of offices and institutions operating around downtown and saw an opportunity to serve people looking for lunch during the workday.
He said he had been looking for an opportunity to start a business and felt there was room in Prince Albert’s food industry for another locally owned option.
“It’s just a local brand to serve the local community here in Prince Albert and nearby,” he said.
Mohammed said being independent gives the restaurant more flexibility when it comes to changing its menu and trying new products.
He said the business plans to listen to customer feedback and adjust ingredients or introduce new items based on what local customers want.
“We have the freedom to choose the ingredients and the menu items,” he said.
The current menu includes some South Asian influences, including tandoori chicken and tikka paneer, but Mohammed said he has plans to go further in the future.
Originally from Kerala, India, Mohammed said he would like to eventually introduce foods associated with the region, including Malabar chicken biryani and Kerala-style beef.
“The Malabar chicken biryani is very famous throughout the world, so we plan to have those sort of items,” he said.
Getting the restaurant ready to open was not without challenges.
Mohammed said paperwork, including GST registration, took time. He also found opening a business bank account difficult because the local branches he visited did not have business account representatives available, leaving much of the process to be handled online or by phone.
The restaurant has hired some part-time employees and Mohammed said he is also interviewing candidates for full-time positions, including workers with pizza-making experience.
Mohammed said La Pizza 365 also plans to offer a 10 per cent discount on pickup orders for high school and post-secondary students who show identification. First Nations customers who present a status card will also be eligible for a 10 per cent discount until further notice.
For Mohammed, the opening comes with some nerves, but also confidence that the restaurant’s recipes and ingredients will connect with customers.
“It’s the first time I’m starting a business in Canada, so a little bit of nervousness,” he said. “But I’m confident I can go through that and make it successful.”
La Pizza 365 is located at 1112 Central Ave., Unit 100, and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
